National Republican., 1887-04-02

scant subsistence. Apart from this, the
revenue taxes have been increased to such
an extent that the poor will soon be COM
PEELED to 20 without clothing or to emil
CRATE.
Mr.. Harold Marsh Sewall, Of Maine, the
recently appointed consul general at Apia,
Samoan Islands, was at the State Depart
ment Tuesday, receiving instructions as TO
his duties from the special envoy, whom
Secretary Rayard sent out to supersede the
late Consul Greenbaum. Mr.. Sewall is a
young man, q graduate Of Harvard, and
has had about two years. experience as
vice consul at Liverpool, one OF the best
locations In the service for acquiring
duties. Mr.. Sewall is especially well quail
fled for the duties OF his new position, and
he is regarded as one Of the best equipped
men In the consular service His appoint
ment raises the grade OF the Office to that
OF a consul generalship.
The following comprise the changes In
the diplomatic and consular service since
our issue OF March "a: Oscar s. Straue,
New York, envoy extraordinary aud minis
ter plenipoi entiary at Constantinople, Tur-
Key; Harold Marsh Sewall, Maine, consul
general at Apia, Samoan Islands; John w.
Eldiidge, Tennessee. consular agent at
Glauchau, Germany; Frederick Won Versen,
Maryland, vice and deputy consul general
Kentucky, commercial agent at Baracoa,
Cuba; N. J. George, Tennessee, consul at
Charlottetown, Prince Edward island;
Thomas NJ. Dawson, District OF Columbia,
commercial agent at Newcastle, New South
Wales; John 3. Mcdonald, vice consul at
Antigua. British West Indies; Milton p.
Townsend, Maryland, commercial agent at
Gait, Canada; Homer A. Huntington, Mas
sachusetts, consular agent at Puerto Plata,
San Domingo; Edward X. Foote. Ohio,
vice consul at rangier, Morocco.
Consul General Hanna, writing from
Buenos Ayres, says: Little or no Ameri'
can capital has hitherto found It's way here,
though the recent organization In New
cate, with $20, 0,0O0,0 900 capital, gives assur-
ance that our people are now ready to com.
pete In the field for the rich results, hitherto
unchallenged, borne of by European cor
porations. This syndicate includes many
of the largest capitalists OF New York, and
ia represented here by Mr.. w. p. Tisdel,
now on the ground studying the field Of op-
pOrtunities, and ready at moments
notice to engage In negotiations for the
construction Of railways, or make invest
ments In the internal and foreign
steamship line, TO be operated directly be.
tween New, York and the'Riyer Platte coun'
tries, so long and 80 seriously felt, we trust,
as matters now work, will very soon be
supplied, and by United states capital and
enterprise. These movements once inaugu-
rated will In part settle the vexed question
OF bindra nee in the way OF North and
South Am erican trade.
Consular Agent Chambers, writing from
Batoum to the Department OF State, says
Petroleum, or "neft," as the Russians call
1t, was known to exist In the vicinity OF
Baku hundreds OF years ago, but the earliest
records Of production are from the years
1891 TO 1925, In which years the government
revenue from petroleum was l3l 900 robles.
In 1882 the production was about 100000
gallons. Since 1882 a record Of the annual
production has been kept, which record
shows very small increase until the year
1870, when the production reached 3,5OO,OOO
gallons The business until 1873 was a
government monopoly, held at various
times by different people, the last holder
being an American named Mirzoeff, who at
that time was very wealthy man, having,
II Is said, made his fortune out OF the
monopoly. The production was also sub
iect to an excise tax, which must have been
a heavy charge upon the industry, as the
amount OF this tax from the year 1873 "a
1877 was more than $1,000, 900 on pro-
duction approximating zoo, ,OoO, 600 gallons,
The monopoly was abolished In 1873, the
business thereafter being open TO all who
wished 20 engage in II, and after Sept ],
1877, the excise tax was also abolished
The commercial era OF the business dates
from the year 1876, when the Nobel Bros,
trio OF Swedish engineers, commenced
operations. These gentlemen, by remark
able energy, enlisted an immense amount
OF foreign capital In this business, snd Z
them certainly belongs the honor OF build
ing up, from very Insignificant beginning
what TO day 10 the greatest producing Ant
manufacturing business In Russia.